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Craigslist Dresser...From Old And Run Down To Pretty And Sweet

Being that today is Mother's Day I really didn't think I'd get a chance to write a blog post, but here I am! It was a gorgeous day here in Connecticut and we spent a lot of time outside. We went to my favorite local, outdoor flea market today and I was thrilled with the fact I only went 3 rows in and found so many great things! You'll have to wait to hear about those :-)

Today I'm writing about a dresser....yep I have a thing for dressers, but his one isn't for me. I bought this dresser from the 1810 farm house I talked about in another post. This is the same place I bought the night stands I sold and the buffet and chair I kept for myself. I had originally planned on keeping the dresser for myself too, but lets be realistic...I only have so much space!

This dresser has everyone thing I love in a piece of furniture. It's solid wood (I think it's cherry...at least it says so on the back!), has great lines, lots of drawers and neat details that make it stand out.

The sweet woman who bought the nightstands told me she wanted the dresser too. It was nice to know it was going to a nice home, even before it was done. I enjoyed knowing exactly what I needed to do to it as well....make it the same as the nightstands! Easy, right??? Well I thought the dresser would be easy peasy, but it's a big piece and it took a lot of time, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Here are some before pictures.....Ooops I have to mention the reason the top is so shiny. I put stripper on before I took pictures.

The top was in OK shape, but had a few spots that had to be filled. It also had some scratches and ink spots that I needed to sand out after I stripped it.

Here you can see the ink spot on the top.

Here are those great details and lines....love the hardware on this one too!

This is how it looked after 2 coats of paint and 5 coats of stain. The stain was a mix of Dark Walnut and Ebony. Paint is Annie Sloan Pure White.

Here's another little detail I loved...a little key hole. I painted the outsides (not the bottoms) of each drawer and the insides as well.

Two coats of paint, a coat of clear wax and a coat of dark wax and it was done! I kept all the original hardware, but when I went to paint the hardware (antique bronze) I realized one piece was missing. I hadn't even realized when I took them off! I had to scramble around and run to a few home improvement stores, but I found just the right hardware to pull it all together!

Here's the inside of the drawers. I lined them with this pretty, scented liner paper I bought at Home Goods. I think it really adds something special.

Here's those great details with a bit of distressing to help them stand out a bit.

Since this piece wasn't staying in my house and it was such a gorgeous day, the Hubby and I carefully moved it outside to take some pretty pictures.

(I got the fan today at the outdoor flea market! It doesn't work...it's just to look at)

I like how the drawer are set back in a bit....nice detail.

It's wonderful to know this beauty has a new home! I know they will love it as much as I do.

48 comments:

You did such a fantastic job with the dresser! I love the detail that you highlighted with the dark wax! I have never seen scented, linen paper. I am thinking that i am going to have look for some. Thanks for the eye candy!Have a happy week!

What an awesome dresser! Great job, I can't wait to try out the chalk paint on some of my finds. I'm glad I came across your blog, plus I'm from CT too! It's fun to find someone in the same area with the same kind of decorating tastes. I hope you can check out my blog too, I have a post on a Craigslist find too!

Beautiful transformation!! I love your attention to details! I love ASCP & the dark wax look but I still struggle with application of both clear & dark. There has to be some trick that I am just not getting cause everyone seems to love using them!! Blessings, Kathy

Thank you Kathy! I don't really think there is a trick to the wax, other than working in small sections and not putting on too much. Sometimes I only put on a very light coat and then come back and add more if I want it. I love ASCP too. It's by far the best paint I've ever used!

What a fabulous piece. I love all the detailing on the front and it shows up so much better with the paint wash look. The hardware pops nicely and I really like that you did the top dark. A great combo. Thanks so much for sharing your great work on BeColorful this week.

Thank you Jenny! It took me awhile to find a great dresser like this one. I felt like I'd won the lottery because I found so many great pieces in one place! Thanks for the kind comments and for stopping by.

What a beautiful job you did - you really accomplised something!I'm green with envy that you found this on Craig's list. We aren't so lucky in my neck of the woods or if I do find one its WAY overpriced.

Hello Melody,I was going through your pages and found this one. I love the dresser. One quick question… do you spray the base coats or do you brush them? They look so nice before you distress them. Thanks

I'm a stay at home Mom and married to the best Husband around. I blog about my addiction to anything vintage and incorporating these vintage items into my home. I take the old and give it a new lease on life. What some might consider a piece of furniture ready for the trash heap, I see an ugly duckling that can be transformed into a beautiful swan. I'm a lover of estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores and flea markets. I have a deep love of globes and maps, which is apparent when you walk into my home! I hope you'll come along with me on this vintage inspired journey.